Cotton stalk harvester



Oct. 15, 1940. a. H. PADRICK COTTON STALK HARVESTER Filed April 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l -1 RmKQ N0 y 9% W WW Q WW m e 7 Oct. 15, 1940. a. H. PADRICK COTTON STALK HARVESTER Filed April 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 15, 1940 STATES ENT FiCE I COTTON STALK HARVESTER George H. Padrick, Lakeland, Fla.

Application April 18, 1939, Serial No. 268,561

1 Claim.

will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, and,

.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the blades of the stalk puller.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration,'I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 denotes the frame of the machine composed of longitudinal side bars 6 connected at one end by a cross bar I and having their opposite ends converging forwardly and connected to a tongue 8, as at 9. The frame is supported, intermediate its length, by a pair of traction wheels I fixedly mounted on an axle I I extending transversely of the frame and journaled in bearings [2 attached to the side bars. The wheels may be adjusted on the axle to straddle various width rows of cotton stalks.

An auxiliary U-shaped frame I3 is adjustab-ly mounted on the forward end of the frame for supporting the stalk puller 4. The free ends of the frame l3 support a shaft I5 on which the puller I4 is fixedly mounted to turn therewith. The body of the puller is square in cross section and attached to each side of the body is an angular blade it having spaced wedge shaped spring fingers ll attached to the free edge thereof which are slightly curved longitudinally. The opposite end of the frame I3 is attached to the transverse rod l8 journaled in the bearings l9 attached to the side bars 6 of the frame 5. The rod l8 intermediate its length has an upstanding arm connected by a rod 21 to the hand lever 22 pivotally mounted at 23 on the tongue 8, whereby the frame I 3 is adjusted to raise or lower the puller with respect to the ground over which the machine is traveling. The hand lever 22 is provided with a pawl 24 for engagement with notches in the quadrant 25 to retain the hand lever in its adjusted position. A drive sprocket wheel 26 is mounted on the axle II and is connected by an endless chain 2? with the pinion wheel 23 mounted on the arm 29 pivotally attached to the frame i3 and a turn-buckle rod 30 extending between the arm 29 and frame l3 serves to adjust the arm 29 to tighten the chain 21. The lower side of the chain 27 passes over the pinion wheel 1o 3! on the end of the shaft l5 thereby imparting rotary motion to the puller in a reverse direction to that of thewheels l0.

A stripping roller 32 is mounted on the frame 5 directly in the path of movement of the stalks 15 carried by the puller being mounted in brackets 33 attached to the side bars 6. The stripping roller 32 is provided with a plurality of teeth or spikes 34 for gripping the stalks and removing them from the teeth of the puller. The strip- 20 ping rollers are disposed adjacent the mouth 35 of the grinder 33 to which the stalks are delivered, passing between the crushing rollers 31 which reduces them to pulp. The pulp is delivered from the grinder by the chute 38 to the g5 sacking platform 39.

The stripping rollers 32 are driven by an endless chain 40 connecting the sprocket 4| on the 'end of the roller shaft with the sprocket 42 on The crushing rollers 3'! of the 30 the axle ll. grinder are driven by a chain of gearing consisting of a drive sprocket 43 mounted on the axle H connected by an endless chain 43' with a smaller sprocket 44 mounted on a shaft 45 which carries a larger sprocket 46 and the 35 sprocket 46 is connected through an endless chain 46' with a smaller sprocket 41 mounted on the shaft 48 supported above the shaft 45 by uprights 49 and a larger gear 50 mounted on the shaft 48 is connected by an endless chain 5| with the smaller sprocket 52 on the end of the shaft the puller l4. As the wheels ill of the machine turn motion is transmitted to the puller I4, strip- 50 ping rollers 32 and crushing rollers 31. As the spring fingers ll of the puller I4 engage thecotton stalks, the stalks are wedged between the teeth and lifted from the ground. As the puller revolves carrying the stalks in the fingers, the

stalks are removed by the stripping rollers 32 which direct the stalks into the grinder 36 where the crushing rollers 3'! reduce the stalks to a pulp which is discharged through the chute 38 onto the sacking platform 39.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 

